Apparatus and method for subtyping window elements in a document windowing system

Abstract

Methods and apparatus may include assigning a subtype, from a sub-class of image types, to a pixel, the subtype indicating membership in a window and also indicating a more specialized sub-class of image types. Membership in the sub-class may specify downstream processing specific to the subtype and compatible with the downstream processing of other subtypes within the sub-class. Such methods and apparatus may allow individual pixels within a window to receive specialized downstream processing according to their subtype while preventing objectionable artifacts. Such artifacts may result from classifying neighboring pixels as image types calling for mutually incompatible downstream processing.

1 . A windowing method, comprising: 
 subtyping pixels within a window, a subtype indicating membership in a window and also indicating a more specialized sub-class of image types.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein subtyping pixels further comprises: 
 defining at least one subtype within a sub-class of image types, the subtype indicating membership in a window and also indicating a more specialized sub-class of image types; and    labeling pixels within a window with a subtype from a sub-class of image types, the sub-class being associated with all pixels within the window.    
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein membership in the more specialized sub-class of image types specifies a downstream processing which is specific to the subtype while being compatible with the downstream processing of other subtypes within the sub-class.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising preventing the creation of objectionable artifacts by the use of subtyping.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus that performs a window pixel subtyping operation, the apparatus comprising at least one logic module, the at least one logic module being configured: 
 to define at least one subtype within a sub-class of image types, the subtype indicating membership in a window and also indicating a more specialized sub-class of image types; and    to label pixels within a window with a subtype from a sub-class of image types, the sub-class being associated with all pixels within the window.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one subtype indicates specialized, downstream processing compatible with other subtypes of the window image type.  
   
   
       7 . A xerographic imaging device comprising the apparatus of  claim 5 .  
   
   
       8 . A method of subtyping pixels in at least one window, comprising a first pass through image data, the first pass including: 
 classifying and tagging each pixel with an image type; and    collecting window statistics; and    a second pass through the image data, the second pass including:    labeling each pixel within a window with an image subtype;    wherein pixels labeled with a subtype indicate membership in a window and also indicate a more specialized sub-class of image types.    
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising preventing the creation of objectionable artifacts by the use of subtypes to drive compatible downstream processing for neighboring pixels.